“Peace Among Yourselves” (1 Thess 4:12-13)

“And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves”. (vs12-13)

We’ll have peace, if we esteem God’s ministers for their work’s sake. It has NOTHING to do with who is the most gifted; it has to do with RECEIVING them as MESSENGERS of God, not in a competition of skills, but in actually viewing them as sent by God to live and preach Christ.

Those men gifted should be esteemed and their ministry honored. Christ should be TRUSTED and honored through their mouth. It isn’t about the man; it is about the Man whom we preach, the Son.

If you love your pastor and other preachers through the gospel, not in self-exalting preacher worship, then you’ll also have peace among yourselves. Notice that PEACE and order go hand in hand (1 Cor 14:33-34). I must be under my pastor FOR the right reasons: the gospel - not because I fear or honor him instead of Christ, but I esteem him highly in love because of Christ, so that I love him for what he preaches, which means that his message of Christ my Savior is important: he is an instrument of honoring God in my hearing, so I can believe (Rom 10:17).

There won’t be peace for you wives, employees, etc, without order. Don’t think that you can rule your life and have peace with God. Remember, when David showed himself mighty to save (1 Sam 17)? Afterwards, Jonathan loved him as his own soul, stripped himself, and gave David all glory and honor, knowing that he SHOULD and would be king (1 Sam 18:1-4). Contrary to this, Saul envied and hated David (after receiving him at first) because he loved his own authority and being king more than he loved the one whom God exalted (1 Sam 18:6-15). This is the same with Christ: if we know He is worthy of worship, then bow to Him, and be at peace. Live as COMMANDED, and peace will be yours. If we rebel against authority, wanting to be king instead of Jesus, then we’ll have problems with God, contentions with men, and peace will be gone.

The only peace is under order and authority: we must obey God to have the PEACE that He gives, and when obedience isn’t first, then peace will fly away too - “first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace” (Heb 7:2).